Jefferies Upgrades Dominion Energy to Buy with $76 Target
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 3 days ago
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Upgrade Announcement: Jefferies has upgraded Dominion Energy from Hold to Buy with a new price target of $76, up from $65, reflecting optimism regarding the approval of the NextEra acquisition and indicating favorable risk/reward in both deal and no-deal scenarios.
- Earnings Potential: Analyst Paul Zimbardo notes that buying Dominion is akin to purchasing NextEra at an average P/E multiple, with the current ~6% spread providing attractive investment opportunities, and if the deal fails, Dominion's value is expected to increase significantly.
- Capital Expenditure Support: Should the acquisition not proceed, NextEra's $3.4 billion net break fee could finance $8 billion in storage and transmission capex, supporting an 8%-9% compound annual growth rate in EPS, which would materially accelerate the company's earnings growth.
- Risk-Adjusted Returns: For investors confident in the merger's approval, Dominion Energy is viewed as a better risk-adjusted investment vehicle, capturing the potential for NextEra to re-rate higher while providing downside protection through Dominion's spread or a stronger standalone case.
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Analyst Views on D
Wall Street analysts forecast D stock price to fall
12 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
9 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 67.380
Low
59.00
Averages
64.36
High
70.00
Current: 67.380
Low
59.00
Averages
64.36
High
70.00
About D
Dominion Energy, Inc. provides regulated electricity service to 3.6 million homes and businesses in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and regulated natural gas service to 500,000 customers in South Carolina. It develops and operates regulated offshore wind and solar power and is the producer of carbon-free electricity in New England. Its Dominion Energy Virginia segment includes Virginia Power’s regulated electric transmission, distribution and generation operations, which serve homes and businesses in Virginia and North Carolina. Its Dominion Energy South Carolina segment includes DESC’s generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to customers in the central, southern and southwestern portions of South Carolina and the distribution of natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers in South Carolina. Its Contracted Energy segment includes nonregulated long-term contracted renewable electric generation fleet and renewable natural gas facilities.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Renewable Energy Advantage: Post-merger, NextEra Energy will be the world's largest renewable energy producer and battery storage operator, positioning itself strongly in the clean energy sector and enhancing its competitive edge in the ongoing energy transition.
- Electricity Demand Growth: U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow by 60% over the next 20 years, and NextEra Energy's scale and operational efficiency will enable it to meet this demand effectively, particularly in emerging sectors like data centers and electric vehicles.
- Profitability Enhancement: Following the acquisition, NextEra Energy expects its adjusted earnings per share to grow at over 9% annually, driven by scale advantages and the rising demand for power from data centers, further increasing its long-term investment appeal.
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- Stable Dividend Growth: The company has raised its dividend for over 25 years, with a decade-long average growth of around 10%, and while it has adjusted its future target to 6%, its 2.8% dividend yield remains above the industry average, appealing to income-focused investors.
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